A Way Out of Dark Places
by Celestial-Vapidity
Summary: Hannibal adopts a young Margot Verger.


**Author's Note:** Inspired by these posts: post/148940182043/i-literally-do-not-understand-what-made-clarice-a and post/154795779593/its-super-weird-to-me-that-hannibal-made-the. I love the idea of Hannibal and Margot having a non-romantic loving relationship, whether it be as family or friends. I'm taking the idea of Hannibal meeting Margot as a child from the books, but other than that, this is TV-verse. But this is all very AU. 'Mano perlas' means 'my pearl' in Lithuanian. I decided on that pet-name, because 'Margot' means 'pearl'. **WARNING** : This fic contains mentions of child abuse, implied child abuse, minor blood, minor child abuse, PTSD, internalized homophobia, kissing, alcohol, food, and kidnapping. The kidnapping is less kidnapping though, and more being rescued from an abusive home. I hope you enjoy this!

* * *

When Hannibal Lecter meets little Margot Verger, she's eight. He's just gotten his psychiatry degree, and is treating her twin brother Mason. In retrospect, he thinks he should have never gotten close to a little girl who reminds him so much of Mischa.

In therapy, Mason reveals horrible things. The horrible abuse he inflicts on his sister, and other children. And how nobody stops him. Hannibal can't help but be furious. He knows that it is half Mason's own fault, but his real rage is directed at his parents.

After another upsetting session with the Verger heir, Hannibal relaxes in his temporary room in the Verger mansion, with a glass of wine. As he writes his latest findings in Mason's file, there's a knock at his door.

"Come in."

He turns around, upon hearing the door open. Standing in the doorway is little Margot, face blotchy and red from crying. He sees blood on her pajama shirt, and face, as well as a few bruises. He quickly picks her up and sets her on the bed.

As he rummages around his room for his first aid kit, he waits for her to stop crying, so he can talk to her. He finds the kit, and goes back over to her. She's still hiccupping.

"What happened, Margot?" He asks, as he begins tending to her wounds.

"I told Mason about the girl in my class…" Margot seems hesitant, and afraid of his reaction.

"Why would he hurt you for talking about a friend?"

"Well…He got mad when he found out…When he found out she's my wife."

Hannibal chuckles. "Your wife, hmm? Tell me more."

"I gave her a ring, and we kissed under the slide. That means we're married now. Well…It was a ring-pop, not a real ring. But it still counts!"

"I see. That sounds like a beautiful wedding. Did Mason hurt you because you like a girl that way?"

Margot slowly nods, looking down. "Am I…Am I bad?"

Hannibal feels a pang of sympathy for the child. He had asked the same question when he realized he likes men, and later, non-binary people, the same way he likes women. "Not at all. You're a wonderful young lady. It's ok for you to like men, women, both, or neither. As long as you like them, and they like you, it's perfectly fine."

Margot visibly brightens, and bear hugs Hannibal. Hannibal freezes for a moment, before hugging her back, tightly. He feels a surge of fatherly love for her. It's similar to what he felt for little Mischa. He knows what he needs to do. He can't, in good consciences, let his little girl (for _he_ is Margot's father. Not the sperm donor, Molson) suffer like this.

"Margot…How would you like to leave this place? Leave Mason, and your parents, and live happily, far away from here?"

Margot stares up at him, wide-eyed. "Really?!"

"Really. Do you want to come away with me?"

Margot nods eagerly, grinning.

"Good. I will sedate your family at dinner, as soon as possible. Once they are deep in sleep, we will pack and leave."

* * *

As Hannibal boards the plane with Margot (under pseudonyms of course, Matis and Janina Liepa). By the time they're comfortable and in their seats, she's fast asleep, and leaning against him. He smiles. His little daughter looks so peaceful in her sleep.

For now, they will be traveling to stay in Florence with a friend of his, Bedelia Du Maurier. He strokes Margot's hair. He doesn't think the other Vergers will try hard, if at all, to locate her. _But better to be safe than sorry._

* * *

They arrive at Bedelia's home the next day. Hannibal knocks on the door. A younger, scruffy man answers. Hannibal smiles politely.

"Hello. I'm looking for Dr. Bedelia Du Maurier. Is she here?"

The man doesn't meet his eyes, but Hannibal scans him. Dark curls, glasses, blue eyes. "She's out, at the moment. But she does live here. Would you like to come inside?"

"Thank you. That would be wonderful." He smiles, and looks at Margot. "Come on,  
mano perlas."

* * *

The man, it turns out, is Will Graham, a friend of Bedelia's, who currently lives with her. Hannibal feels oddly trusting of Will. He decides not to use pseudonyms when introducing himself and Margot.

"I am Dr. Hannibal Lecter, and this is my daughter, Margot."

Will holds out a hand to Margot, smiling. Margot is shy and skittish. But, she looks up at Will, and shakes his hand, with a cautious smile. Hannibal feels even more trusting of Will. _If Margot seems trusting already, then he probably is trustworthy._

* * *

Bedelia returns later that night. She acts as though she had been expecting him, but had merely forgotten to tell Will, something Hannibal is grateful for. He can always trust Bedelia to think of a good excuse for anything. She does, however, shoot him a look that tells him that they _will_ be talking about this after dinner.

Hannibal merely nods, with a smile. They all tuck into a fantastic dinner of roasted lamb, and salad, with wine for the adults, and tea for Margot. Hannibal is proud of his daughter's table manners. She says 'please' and 'thank you', and chews with her mouth closed. She keeps her cloth napkin in her lap, and doesn't slurp her drink, or blow bubbles in it. She graciously compliments Bedelia's cooking, and thanks her.

Hannibal and Margot are each given their own rooms to sleep in. Hannibal leads Margot to her own room, after she's finished getting ready for bed. She's in a nightgown, and clutching a stuffed stag, with a mane of black feathers. She smells like toothpaste, and soap.

Hannibal tucks her in, kisses her forehead, and gets up to leave. Margot stops him. "Wait!"

Hannibal turns back. "Yes, mano perlas?"

Margot looks hesitant, and embarrassed. "I'm…I'm scared of the dark."

"Listen carefully to me. Most children are afraid of the dark, because they believe there are monsters hiding in the shadows. I doubt you are afraid of things like Baubas. You've had to deal with real monsters your entire life. That's scarier than any fairy tale an adult could tell you. You didn't deserve any of the pain you endured. You never did. But, I can guarantee you, that I will do everything in my power to keep any more harm from coming to you. I love you, Margot. I am your father now. And you are my daughter." He smiles. "Do you really think somebody like Mason or Molson would have a chance against _me_?"

Margot smiles a little. "No…Will you…Will you leave the light in the hall on, though?"

"Of course. Goodnight, little one. Sweet dreams." Hannibal gets up, and begins walking toward the door, when he hears it.

"Goodnight, Papa." He turns to look at Margot. He smiles, before leaving.

* * *

Later that night, he sits with Bedelia in her study. They sip at glasses of expensive red wine. Bedelia says something first.

"When did you get a child, Hannibal?"

"Not too long ago. She's not mine, biologically. I've adopted her."

Bedelia lowers her glass. "You stole her. I don't know why, though."

Hannibal sighs. "Her blood family was…Extremely abusive. Normally, I would kill the family, and merely make sure that the child is given a good home afterwards. But, I grew close to her. I love Margot as though she were my own. I am a father to her. I couldn't let her stay there, Bedelia."

Bedelia raises her brow, and smiles slightly. "I'm proud of you, Hannibal. Just make sure nothing happens to her. Or _I_ will become the main suspect for the Chesapeake Ripper."

* * *

As the months pass, they all fall into a sort of routine. Margot goes to school, and spends the rest of her time playing with Will's dogs, or with Hannibal. Hannibal sets himself up in the psychiatrist office with Bedelia, slowly working on his seduction of Will, and rarely killing. Will continues his teachings at the local college, and slowly comes to have fatherly feelings for Margot. Bedelia has had maternal instincts toward the child since meeting her.

One day, Will comes to Hannibal, asking to speak in private to him. They head to the kitchen, away from Margot and Bedelia. "Yes, Will?"

"Would it be ok with you if I get Margot a puppy? A woman I know has a dog who's just had pups, and she's giving them away. And we both know that Margot's been wanting a dog of her own."

Hannibal thinks for a moment. "That is true." He had seen the (very skilled) drawings of Will's dogs in Margot's room, and had heard her asking each of her guardians for a pup of her own. "Hmm, I suppose so. But I want to pick out which one. How about we go after dinner?"

* * *

Will and Hannibal return home that night, with a shopping bag of dog supplies, and a Caucasian shepherd pup. Hannibal had told Margot that they were going to get a special surprise for her. They return to find her sitting on the couch with Bedelia, dogs piled around them.

Her face lights up upon seeing Hannibal. She bear-hugs him. "Hi Papa! I missed you!" She hugs Will. "You too!"

She steps back, face scrunched up in confusion. "Will, your coat is moving."

"Well, that's just your surprise, Margot." Will reaches into his coat, and pulls out a little puppy, with thick brown and white fur.

Margot gasps, and takes the little pup, holding him close. "Thank you so much! This is the best present I've ever gotten!" The puppy nuzzles her, and licks her face. Margot giggles, and pecks him on the nose.

Hannibal smiles at her. "What are you going to name him?"

Margot furrows her brow, thinking hard. Suddenly, she looks up at the adults, the certainty clear in her eyes. "Mecho! Mecho Lecter!"

Bedelia and Hannibal chuckle. _Of course, his daughter would name the pup 'teddy bear'._ Will, oblivious to the fitting meaning of the name, strokes the fur of the squirming pup. "That's a great name for him."

* * *

Hannibal and Will grow closer, and closer as Margot grows. Hannibal recognizes that Will has the same paternal feelings toward his daughter, that he does. Margot, by that time, refers to Will as 'Dad', and Bedelia as 'Mama'. Bedelia and Hannibal aren't secretive about the fact that they're in a relationship. Even before Margot found out about this, she'd been calling Bedelia her mother.

Will denies it, but his jealousy is palpable to Hannibal and Bedelia. _Both of us,_ Hannibal realizes. _He is jealous of both of us._ And so, that night they all sit down with some wine (after Margot is in bed, with Mecho, of course. Nowadays, she never goes anywhere without him, if she can help it). They begin to talk.

"Will, Bedelia and I have a proposition for you. We both know that you are in love with both of us. We have developed feelings for you, as well. Would you like to join our relationship?"

Will pauses, staring at them for a moment. "…yes," He says slowly. His paramours smile.

* * *

As the years pass, Margot comes to think less and less of her past. That is, until one day, when she reads the news that Mason and Molson Verger have been killed by wild pigs. Her heart stops for a moment. They never tried to look for her. They had merely reported her missing, but never actually tried to find her. They had been glad to get rid of her. She runs to get her parents. By that time, the four of them are all honest with each other. About everything, not just the good parts.

"Papa! Where are you?!"

"I'm cooking Margot, and please don't shout."

Hannibal sees as she appears in the doorway, Mecho on her heals. "Papa, they're dead. Mason and Molson. They're dead. Attacked by wild pigs." She's smiling widely.

Hannibal smirks. "Quite the coincidence." He turns around, resuming his chopping of vegetables.

Suddenly, it all clicks in Margot's mind. "You…But how…You've been here this whole time!"

"A friend of mine, who owed me took care of it. A man who used to be a patient of mine. Well, not a man anymore. He's always been convinced he is an animal. I never denied him. Instead I taught him to control his wild instincts, and only let them out when it was safe. Not only is his debt repaid now, but knowing him, he enjoyed repaying it too.

* * *

By the time Margot is in high school, she has a little sister. Her parents had adopted a little girl named Abigail. Abigail, despite only being five-years-old, gets along incredibly well with her older sister. Margot is an excellent sibling to her.

Margot comes home one day with a lipstick print visible on her cheek. Hannibal raises a brow. "You have lipstick on your cheek, mano perlas."

Margot looks at him, eyes wide. She frantically tries to wipe away the pink mark with her sleeve. She only succeeds in smearing it. Hannibal chuckles. Margot sprints upstairs to her room, Mecho following close behind.

Normally, Hannibal would scold his daughter for running in the house. However, he knows that right now, she is feeling scared. He decides to discuss his next course of action with his lovers when they get home.

* * *

"So…Margot likes girls. I'm ok with it."

"As am I."

"I knew you would be. That isn't the problem." Hannibal paces in front of them. "The problem is that, before I became her father, she was abused due to her feelings for women. I want her to feel safe with us. I feel that she panicked more out of instinct, and less because she doesn't trust us."

"Then let's talk to her. All of us."

* * *

After dinner, Hannibal calls his Margot into the living room, where Bedelia, with Abigail on her lap, and Will are already waiting. Margot trudges through the doorway, staring at the floor. She sits on the carpet, curling around Mecho, hiding her face.

"Margot, we want you to know that you can always trust us. You are always safe with us. It's all right for you to like men, women, non-binary people, some combination, or none at all. We all just want you to be safe and happy. We love you, no matter what. We always will."

Margot looks up from Mecho's dark fur. "They always thought I was weird.'

There's no need to ask who she means by 'they'. Hannibal crouches, to look in her eyes. "There's nothing weird about liking women. But, even still, I am much weirder than you will ever be, Margot. It's fine to be weird."

Margot smiles. Abigail pipes up, from Bedelia's lap. "What's her name, Margot?"

"Abigail, don't be rude. Margot may not be comfortable sharing that information yet."

"It's ok. Her name is Alana Bloom."

Bedelia smiles. "A beautiful name. How about you invite her over for dinner?"

* * *

Alana and Margot head to Margot's house the next night, for dinner. "Um…I should warn you…There are three parents, a sister, and eight dogs in the house. But the food will be perfect, and the dogs are friendly, and my family is very polite."

"As long as the food is good, and they're polite."

* * *

Dinner turns out perfectly, with Alana enjoying the food, having intelligent conversation with her parents, humoring Abigail, and petting the dogs. As Margot walks Alana outside, where her mother's car is waiting, her pulse quickens.

There's something heavy in the air. It's not a bad kind of heavy, though, oddly enough. "I had a really good time. I really like your family."

"They really like you too. Usually, it's a pain to introduce my friends to my family."

Alana smirks at her. "So, I'm just a friend now, am I?"

"No! I'm just saying…Ugh, I'm sorry." Margot feels embarrassed at her statement.

"Don't be. I was just teasing…Margot, can I kiss you?" Alana's smiling gently.

Margot leans in, and they kiss. It's her first kiss. It's clumsy, on her part, but wonderful. Alana's lips are soft and sweet, and perfect. Margot nearly melts.

* * *

Margot goes back inside, after Alana's mother's car drives off down the street. Hannibal is cleaning up the table from dinner. Margot joins him.

He flicks his eyes up to look at hers. He smiles gently. "You kissed her."

Margot blushes, picking up plates. "I did. It was amazing."

After the dishes are washed, and everything put away, Margot hugs Hannibal tightly. "Thanks."

"For what?"

"For everything. I love you, Papa." Margot feels Hannibal's hold on her tighten, as he rubs her back, soothingly.

"I love you too."


End file.
